cockburn



PATENTED FEB. 9, 1904.

S. M. COCKBURN.

DEVICE FOR COLLECTING AND REMOVING STEAM.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 17, 1902.

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PATENTED FEB. 9, 1904. S. GOOKBURN. DEVICE FOR COLLECTING ANDREMOVINGSTEAM.

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PATENTED FEB. 9, 1904.

a S. M. COCKBURN. DEVICE FOR COLLECTING AND REMOVING STEAM.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 17, 1902.

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WITNESSES wz Mann's PETERS co. PNOTQ-LITHQ, WASHINGTON. D c.

UNITED STATES lPatented February 9, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

DEVICE FOR COLLECTING AND REMOVING STEAM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 751,717, dated February9, 1904.

Application filed October 17, 1902. Serial No. 127,667. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIDNEY MAN'rHoRP COCK- BURN, of No. 18 SouthamptonRow, London, WV. (1, England, have invented a certain new and usefulImproved Device for Removing Steam from the Heating-Surfaces of Steam-Generators; and I do hereby declare the fol,- lowing to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to a contrivance which is adapted to removebubbles of steam from the heating-surfaces of steam-generators almostimmediately on their formation and provide a means whereby they may beconducted to a steam drum or dome with comparatively small disturbanceof the water in the boiler.

The object is to enable steam which has received from theheating-surface all the heat it requires to readily give place to waterfor which heat is wanted to convert it into steam with the twofoldpurpose, first, that of causing the heating-surface to transmit heatwith greater rapidity, and thus increase the power of a boiler, and,second, to avoid the injury which so frequently arises from the undueheating of the surface by a lengthened contact with steam on the one andheated products of combustion on the other side.

The device may be applied under a variety of circumstances, asillustrated in the accompanying drawings.

The advantages due to the use of my device are derived from the factthat while bubbles of steam progress very sluggishly if they have tomake their way by successive displacements of a mass of water whichsurrounds them, the steam itself will be able to flow with exceedingrapidity along a continuous channel devoid of water. Thus if a pipe beprovided into which the steam can freely enter immediately on generationon the heatingsurface such pipe will most efficiently serve the purposeof transmitting the steam by the adoption of a section quite smallrelatively to the section which would be occupied by the steam if it hadto thread its way through the mass of water unconducted. Moreover, thissmall section, which in my device is provided for the transit of thesteam, is isolated from the heating-surface by intervening water, andthus the heating-surface is rendered permanently eifective for heattransmission and free from danger of overheating.

Figure 1 shows the most simple application of my device, and may beunderstood by regarding it as a Field tube with reversed flow. Fig. 2 isa section, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of this tube. Figs. 3 and4: show how my invention is applied to a marine boiler of thecylindrical tubular type. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 represent similarcontrivances applied to a locomotive-boiler; and Fig. 8 shows, on anenlarged scale, a modification of a detail of one form of my extractor.

In all the figures thereis a tube a, which leads from the closeproximity of a portion of the steam-generating surface of the boiler tothe steam-space. In the surface of this tube a number of perforations Z)Z) are provided for the inflow of the steam which is generated in theneighborhood. In all the figures the tube a stands at a little distancefrom the heatingsurface and at intervals-along its length funnels 0 care attached, the edges of which extend sufficiently far to be quite ornearly in contact with the heating-surface for the purpose of gatheringascending bubbles of steam and conducting them through the perforations5 into the tube a, and thus remove them from contact with theheating-surface. In several of the figures the perforated tube a is alsoshown horizontally placed, in which case the function of the funnels isperformed by wingplates at m.

Fig. 1 shows the most simple application of my invention, in which theaction is somewhat like that of the well-known Field tube, but.

with the direction of flow reversed. In this the tube (Z is supposed todip into a furnace or be surrounded by heated products of combustionwhich cause the generation of steam on the internal surface of the tube.The bubbles of steam thus formed will on rising be intercepted by theedges of the cone-shaped funnels 0 0, which project from the tube a.Near the apex of each of the cones an aperture 6 is made in the tube.This allows the steam which has collected in the cone to pass intosteam-space 6.. The most efficientproportions will be those which arejust capable of admit-.

ting and transmitting the steam alone without any water. The situationof the. orifice is such that steam will have precedence, but if the rateof generation is not sufficient to provide all the steam which under adifference of pressure due to the head of water outside the tube a canpass through the orifice b then water will follow or accompany theentering steam and by occupying a portion of the tube a will lessen thehead. In this way an automatic adjustment will take place. On account ofthe very small resistance to the flow of steam as compared with that ofwater a very small tube free from water and a very small perforation init will be sufiicient to conduct away a large volume of steam. Thealmost immediate removal of the steam from the heating-surface of thetube cZ will, by enabling that surface to be permanently in contact withwater, largely augment the quantity of steam generated on its surface,and thus increase the boiler-power.

Fig. 2 shows on a larger scale a portion of the tube shown in full inFig. 1. The same contrivance can be advantageously fitted into a tubewhich is not closed at the lower end and which is somewhat inclined tothe vertical, as in the Yarrow type of boiler.

In Figs. 3 and 4:, which are respectively a longitudinal and atransverse central section of a cylindrical marine boiler, two forms ofmy device are exhibited. One arrangement, F, serves to extract the largequantity of steam which is generated on the surface of the cylindricalfurnace and convey it direct to the steam-space without having to passbetween the tubes which are situated above the furnace. In thisarrangement the perforated pipe (0 is horizontal and is provided withwingplates m m, the perforations being in the bottom of the pipe a. Toone end of a a vertical pipe n is connected, the upper end of which isabove the water-surface. The other arrangement, P, serves to extract thesteam which is generated on the tube-plates. On account of the narrowspace between the tubes the funnels 0 0 are very flattened. The loweredges of the funnels are situated to stand on a level with the narrowestwidth between the tubes, and thus the surfaces of the tubes themselvespartly perform the function of the funnel. Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8represent similar contrivances applied to a locomotive-boiler. Fig. 5 isa vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 6 is a transverse section alongthe line 11 11 of Fig.

adopted. Although even in this case such an arrangement would besatisfactory, an alternative method T is shown. For this purpose a rowof tubes is omitted from about the center of the nest, and a number oftubes at, perforated along the bottom and provided with wings, areinserted in the vacated space, each horizontal tube a being connectedwith a vertical member 0. Of that nearest the fire-box the edge of thewing is caused to be in contact with the tube-plate, and thus all thesteam generated on the lower half of the tube-plate and on the firstshort length of the tubes secured to that half is intercepted andconducted to the steam-space without being permitted to grope its waybetween the overlying tubes and interfere with the free access of waterto them. The other elements, T, serve a similar purpose, j but with lessand less effect the farther they are from the fire-box. Hence it willprobably be undesirable to insert more than a limited number. In thesedrawings there is also shown an arrangement Q, which is like thatlettered T, and of which the horizontal member 60, with its wings, isinserted through a suitably-situated hand-hole provided in the exteriorshell of the fire-box. This extracts the steam which is formed on thefurface of the fire-box immediately below it and by means of a verticalpipe 19 conducts it directly to the steam-space. This arrangement Q isfitted to abstract the steam and provide water more free from bubbles onthe front and back surfaces of the fire-box. From the sides of thefire-box the steam is abstracted by a number of elements S, each ofwhich consists of a vertical perforated tube a, carrying a number offunnels 0 0, such as has been previously described, the inverted mouthof the funnels being rectangular and placed with one edge in contactwith the fire-box surface.

Fig. 8 shows an alternative method of con' structing the contrivancenamed F in Figs. 8 and 9 and T and Q in Figs. 5, 6, and 7. In this thetube a, perforated in its upper surface, is threaded through the endplates of a hood g at the upper portion thereof. In this way q forms thefunnel for collecting the bubbles and a provides the channel forconducting the steam away.

My invention can be carried into effect in any one of these variousways. Each is adapted to. the special circumstances of the case, but alldepend for their efliciency on the principle of providing a perforatedchannel lead ing to the steam-space, the perforations being disposed insuch a way that steam in the neighborhood shall have precedence of entrybefore water.

Instead of requiring a brisk circulation of the water in order that thesteam formed may be as speedily as possible removed from contact withthe heating surface by entraining the bubbles of steam in the stream ofwater which has hitherto always been aimed at in the boiler design I amable to attain the desired result in a much more perfect manner by thesimple devices which have been described.

I claim- 1. In steam-generators having heating-surfaces so situated thatthe steam generated thereon tends to pass in contact with them in risingto the steam-space, a device for collecting the steam by simple gravityaction consisting of pipes, not exposed to the source of heat, leadingto the steam-space from the neighborhood of the heating-surfaces,orifices in said pipes, and protruding deflecting-plates leading to saidorifices thus directing the steam to the orifices.

2. In steam-generators having heating-surfaces so situated that thesteam generated thereon tends to pass in contact with them in rising tothe steam-space, a device for collecting the steam by simple gravityaction consisting of pipes, not exposed to the source of heat, leadingto the steam-space from the neighborhood of the heating-surfaces suchpipes having orifices situated underneath invertedfunnel-shaped surfacesthe edges of which are placed near heating-surfaces which are situatedin a nearly-vertical position.

3. A device for collecting steam, and removing it from passing upward incontact with SIDNEY MANTHORP COCKBURN.

Witnesses:

T. A. HEARSON, I/VALTER J. SKERTEN.

